Solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell including a closed cylindrical solid oxide fuel cell body including a solid electrolyte, an air electrode and a fuel electrode, a gas supply tube for supplying an oxidizing gas or a fuel gas, partition members arranged between the fuel cell body and the gas supply tube for dividing the hollow space into a plurality of gas flowing passages, a sealing member, at least one exhaust port formed in each of the gas flowing passages, and a support means for holding the opening end side of the fuel cell body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising: a cylindrical solid oxide fuel cell body having an open end and an opposed, closed end and at least provided with a solid electrolyte, an air electrode and a fuel electrode;   a gas supply tube for supplying an oxidizing gas or a fuel gas to a hollow space of the solid oxide fuel cell body;   partition members arranged between an inner peripheral surface of the solid oxide fuel cell body and an outer peripheral surface of the gas supply tube and dividing the hollow space of the solid oxide fuel cell body into a plurality of gas flowing passages;   a sealing member closing said open end of the solid oxide fuel cell body;   at least one exhaust port formed in each of the gas flowing passages for discharging the oxidizing gas or fuel gas flowing in the gas flowing passages to an exhaust gas chamber; and   support means for holding an outer peripheral surface of the solid oxide fuel cell at said open end thereof.   
     
     
       2. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust ports formed in said gas flowing passages have different height levels so as not to be existent at the same cut plane when said fuel cell body is horizontally cut in a lateral direction thereof. 
     
     
       3. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said air electrode comprises doped or undoped LaMnO 3 , CaMnO 3 , LaNiO 3 , LaCoO 3  or LaCrO 3 . 
     
     
       4. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein said air electrode comprises LaMnO 3  doped with strontium. 
     
     
       5. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said solid electrolyte comprises zirconia stabilized with yttria. 
     
     
       6. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said fuel electrode comprises nickel-zirconia cermet or cobalt-zirconia cermet. 
     
     
       7. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising: a cylindrical solid oxide fuel cell body having an open end and an opposed, closed end and at least provided with a solid electrolyte, an air electrode and a fuel electrode;   a gas supply tube for supplying an oxidizing gas or a fuel gas to a hollow space of the solid oxide fuel cell body;   partition members arranged between an inner peripheral surface of the solid oxide fuel cell body and an outer peripheral surface of the gas supply tube and dividing the hollow space of the solid oxide fuel cell body into a plurality of gas flowing passages;   a sealing member closing said open end of the solid oxide fuel cell body;   at least one exhaust port formed in each of the gas flowing passages at a position between the closed end of the solid-oxide fuel body and the support means, said at least one exhaust port discharging the oxidizing gas or fuel gas flowing in the gas-flowing passages to an exhaust gas chamber.   
     
     
       8. The solid-oxide fuel cell of claim 7, wherein a portion of the length of the solid-oxide fuel cell body has no electrodes, and that portion includes a region of contact between the support means and said outer peripheral surface of the solid-oxide fuel cell body, and further includes a portion of the solid-oxide fuel cell body through which said exhaust ports extend.